Sweaty palms, upset stomach, racing heartbeat, and even hyperventilation… These are some of the physical symptoms that individuals with high levels of anxiety may experience. Psychologically, these individuals may experience a tremendous level of worry and concern, to the point when it is debilitating.
Last Tuesday, Dr. Spada of the Psychology Department hosted a movie night when we watched Angst, an independent film that aims to help students understand what anxiety truly is and what we can all do to help ourselves and others.
Dr. Colleen Spada hosting the movie night for “Angst”
Unlike many other films, Angst takes the approach of interviewing children, adolescents, adults, and professionals who have experienced high levels of anxiety to document how they are coping with these feelings.
A great turnout for this event! Left to Right: Dr. Jeff Elliott, Dr. Christine Moran, and Ms. Katey Earle
A highlight of this event was the panel discussion after the film was over. Specifically, Dr. Spada, Dr. Finkenburg (Counseling and Human Services), Mr. James Gresch (a recent graduate of a Master’s program in Psychology), and Lindsay Hamel (’20 Psychology of SU) served as panelists and led an excellent discussion about anxiety and mental health, and how we could together build a strong community to support individuals who are experiencing anxiety.
Left to Right: Graziela (Dr. Spada’s daughter), Dr. Spada, Lindsay Hamel, James Gresch, and Dr. Finkenberg
I walked away from this event learning a lot about anxiety. Given how stressful college life is, students may experience various levels of anxiety. As such, knowing what anxiety is and how to cope with it constructively is important. As a community, we can do a lot to help each other.
Thank you Graziela for helping today!
By: Nya Medley